Robert Browning - The Complete Poems of Robert Browning - 22 Poetry Collections in One Edition

“Preferred elaborating in the dark

“My casual stuff, by any wretched spark

“Born of my predecessors, though one stroke

“Of mine had brought the flame forth! Mantua’s yoke,

“My minstrel’s-trade, was to behold mankind, —

“My own concern was just to bring my mind

“Behold, just extricate, for my acquist,

“Each object suffered stifle in the mist

“Which hazard, custom, blindness interpose

“Betwixt things and myself.”

Whereat he rose.

The level wind carried above the firs

Clouds, the irrevocable travellers,

Onward.

”Pushed thus into a drowsy copse,

“Arms twine about my neck, each eyelid drops

“Under a humid finger; while there fleets,

“Outside the screen, a pageant time repeats

“Never again! To be deposed, immured

“Clandestinely — still petted, still assured

“To govern were fatiguing work — the Sight

“Fleeting meanwhile! ‘T is noontide: wreak ere night

“Somehow my will upon it, rather! Slake

“This thirst somehow, the poorest impress take

“That serves! A blasted bud displays you, torn,

“Faint rudiments of the full flower unborn;

“But who divines what glory coats o’erclasp

“Of the bulb dormant in the mummy’s grasp

“Taurello sent?” …

”Taurello? Palma sent

“Your Trouvere,” (Naddo interposing leant

Over the lost bard’s shoulder) — ”and, believe,

“You cannot more reluctantly receive

“Than I pronounce her message: we depart

“Together. What avail a poet’s heart

“Verona’s pomps and gauds? five blades of grass

“Suffice him. News? Why, where your marish was,

“On its mud-banks smoke rises after smoke

“I’ the valley, like a spout of hell new-broke.

“Oh, the world’s tidings! small your thanks, I guess,

“For them. The father of our Patroness,

“Has played Taurello an astounding trick,

“Parts between Ecelin and Alberic

“His wealth and goes into a convent: both

“Wed Guelfs: the Count and Palma plighted troth

“A week since at Verona: and they want

“You doubtless to contrive the marriage-chant

“Ere Richard storms Ferrara.” Then was told

The tale from the beginning — how, made bold

By Salinguerra’s absence, Guelfs had burned

And pillaged till he unawares returned

To take revenge: how Azzo and his friend

Were doing their endeavour, how the end

O’ the siege was nigh, and how the Count, released

From further care, would with his marriage-feast

Inaugurate a new and better rule,

Absorbing thus Romano.

”Shall I school

“My master,” added Naddo, “and suggest

“How you may clothe in a poetic vest

“These doings, at Verona? Your response

“To Palma! Wherefore jest? ‘Depart at once?

“A good resolve! In truth, I hardly hoped

“So prompt an acquiescence. Have you groped

“Out wisdom in the wilds here? — thoughts may be

“Over-poetical for poetry.

“Pearl-white, you poets liken Palma’s neck;

“And yet what spoils an orient like some speck

“Of genuine white, turning its own white grey?

“You take me? Curse the cicala!”

One more day,

One eve — appears Verona! Many a group,

(You mind) instructed of the osprey’s swoop

On lynx and ounce, was gathering — Christendom

Sure to receive, whate’er the end was, from

The evening’s purpose cheer or detriment,

Since Friedrich only waited some event

Like this, of Ghibellins establishing

Themselves within Ferrara, ere, as King

Of Lombardy, he ‘d glad descend there, wage

Old warfare with the Pontiff, disengage

His barons from the burghers, and restore

The rule of Charlemagne, broken of yore

By Hildebrand.

I’ the palace, each by each,

Sordello sat and Palma: little speech

At first in that dim closet, face with face

(Despite the tumult in the market-place)

Exchanging quick low laughters: now would rush

Word upon word to meet a sudden flush,

A look left off, a shifting lips’ surmise —

But for the most part their two histories

Ran best thro’ the locked fingers and linked arms.

And so the night flew on with its alarms

Till in burst one of Palma’s retinue;

“Now, Lady!” gasped he. Then arose the two

And leaned into Verona’s air, dead-still.

A balcony lay black beneath until

Out, ‘mid a gush of torchfire, grey-haired men

Came on it and harangued the people: then

Sea-like that people surging to and fro

Shouted, “Hale forth the carroch — trumpets, ho,

“A flourish! Run it in the ancient grooves!

“Back from the bell! Hammer — that whom behoves

“May hear the League is up! Peal — learn who list,

“Verona means not first of towns break tryst

“Tomorrow with the League!”

Enough. Now turn —

Over the eastern cypresses: discern!

Is any beacon set a-glimmer?

Rang

The air with shouts that overpowered the clang

Of the incessant carroch, even: “Haste —

“The candle ‘s at the gateway! ere it waste,

“Each soldier stand beside it, armed to march

“With Tiso Sampier through the eastern arch!”

Ferrara’s succoured, Palma!

Once again

They sat together; some strange thing in train

To say, so difficult was Palma’s place

In taking, with a coy fastidious grace

Like the bird’s flutter ere it fix and feed.

But when she felt she held her friend indeed

Safe, she threw back her curls, began implant

Her lessons; telling of another want

Goito’s quiet nourished than his own;

Palma — to serve him — to be served, alone

Importing; Agnes’ milk so neutralized

The blood of Ecelin. Nor be surprised

If, while Sordello fain had captive led

Nature, in dream was Palma subjected

To some out-soul, which dawned not though she pined

Delaying, till its advent, heart and mind

Their life. “How dared I let expand the force

“Within me, till some out-soul, whose resource

“It grew for, should direct it? Every law

“Of life, its every fitness, every flaw,

“Must One determine whose corporeal shape

“Would be no other than the prime escape

“And revelation to me of a Will

“Orb-like o’ershrouded and inscrutable

“Above, save at the point which, I should know,

“Shone that myself, my powers, might overflow

“So far, so much; as now it signified

“Which earthly shape it henceforth chose my guide,

“Whose mortal lip selected to declare

“Its oracles, what fleshly garb would wear

“ — The first of intimations, whom to love;

“The next, how love him. Seemed that orb, above

“The castle-covert and the mountain-close,

“Slow in appearing? — if beneath it rose

“Cravings, aversions, — did our green precinct

“Take pride in me, at unawares distinct

“With this or that endowment, — how, repressed

“At once, such jetting power shrank to the rest!

“Was I to have a chance touch spoil me, leave

“My spirit thence unfitted to receive

“The consummating spell? — that spell so near

“Moreover! ‘Waits he not the waking year?

“‘His almond-blossoms must be honey-ripe

“‘By this; to welcome him, fresh runnels stripe

“‘The thawed ravines; because of him, the wind

“‘Walks like a herald. I shall surely find

“‘Him now!’

”And chief, that earnest April morn

“Of Richard’s Love-court, was it time, so worn